Social Media – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Answer: (B) It was taken in an unprofessional setting.

• Explanation: Mr. Davis notices the photo is from a “beach party,” which is an unprofessional setting for a job profile. Option (A) is a trap; Mr. Davis mentions a “formal suit” later to say Liam doesn’t need one. Option (C) is a trap; a “neutral background” is what Mr. Davis recommends for the new photo, not the current one.

2 Answer: (C) A neat and acceptable top.

• Explanation: Mr. Davis suggests wearing a “smart-casual shirt”, which means a neat and acceptable top. Option (B) is a trap; Mr. Davis explicitly says, “You don’t need to wear a formal suit” (traditional business clothes). Option (A) is never mentioned.

3 Answer: (A) Make the text much shorter and job-focused.

• Explanation: Mr. Davis tells Liam to “keep it brief” (make it shorter) and focus on his studies, skills, and the position he wants (job-focused). Option (B) is a trap; Liam currently has his personal interests (sports, pet dog) in the profile, but Mr. Davis says it is “too personal”. Option (C) is a trap; he shouldn’t write a “long story” because recruiters scan profiles quickly.

Liam: Hi Mr. Davis. I’m trying to set up my professional online profile to find a part-time job this summer. Can you take a look?

Mr. Davis: Sure, Liam. Well, the first thing employers notice is your profile picture. Um, this current one… is that you at a beach party?

Liam: Yeah, I thought it looked friendly. Should I change it?

Mr. Davis: Absolutely. You don’t need to wear a formal suit, but you should use a clear headshot with a neutral background. A smart-casual shirt is perfect.

Liam: Okay, I’ll take a new photo tomorrow. What about the “About” section? I wrote a long paragraph about my favorite sports and my pet dog.

Mr. Davis: Ah, that’s a bit too personal. Recruiters usually scan profiles very quickly. You should keep it brief. Focus on your current university studies, any relevant skills, and what kind of position you are looking for.

Liam: Got it. So, I will cut out the pet stories and make it concise. Thanks for the tips!

1 Answer: (B) It is not unique enough to attract a younger audience.

• Explanation: David says there are “thousands of those online already” (not unique) and it might be “too boring for our younger customers”. Option (A) is not mentioned. Option (C) is a plausible reason to reject an idea in a cafe, but it is not mentioned in the audio.

2 Answer: (A) Recording people’s honest opinions of the beverage.

• Explanation: Chloe suggests recording customers trying the drink to capture their “genuine reactions,” which means their honest opinions. Option (B) is a trap; Chloe initially suggested showing “how we make it” (a step-by-step guide/recipe tutorial), but David rejected this idea. Option (C) is never mentioned.

3 Answer: (B) A cheaper price or a complimentary snack.

• Explanation: David suggests offering participants “a small discount” (a cheaper price) or “a free pastry” (a complimentary snack). Option (A) is a trap; the word “recipe” was mentioned earlier in the conversation, but they are not giving it away. Option (C) is plausible but completely incorrect based on the dialogue.

David: Chloe, we need to talk about promoting our new iced matcha latte. Sales have been a bit slow this week.

Chloe: Right. Well, I was thinking we could shoot a short video for our social media channels. You know, a quick 15-second clip showing how we make it.

David: Um, a recipe tutorial? I feel like there are thousands of those online already. It might be too boring for our younger customers.

Chloe: Ah, good point. How about we do a “taste test” instead? We can record real customers trying the drink for the first time and capture their genuine reactions.

David: I love that! It feels much more authentic. But… we should offer them a small discount or a free pastry if they agree to be filmed.

Chloe: Perfect. I’ll prepare some release forms and set up the camera near the counter tomorrow morning.

David: Great. Let’s make it happen.

1 Answer: (B) To warn staff about sharing private business information online.

• Explanation: Sarah’s main point is to warn employees not to share pictures of screens or reports online (private business information). Option (A) is a trap; she mentions the “computer screen”, but not how to log in or use the computers. Option (C) is a trap; she mentions the “cafeteria” as a place to take photos, but she is not talking about food.

2 Answer: (A) Take a photo of themselves in the entrance hall.

• Explanation: Sarah says it is okay to take a “selfie” (a photo of themselves) in the “reception area” (entrance hall). Option (B) is a trap; she explicitly says never take pictures of printed reports. Option (C) is a trap; she mentions “client lists”, but she does not say employees should send them friend requests.

3 Answer: (A) To keep customer details safe and secure.

• Explanation: Sarah states that the rule is there to “protect our clients’ privacy,” which means keeping their details safe. Option (B) is plausible in a workplace, but it is never mentioned in the audio. Option (C) is a trap; the reception area is mentioned, but not in the context of making it look professional.

Sarah (HR Manager): Good morning, everyone, and welcome to your first official day at Horizon Tech. I’m Sarah from Human Resources. Before we move on to the office tour, I need to go over a very important policy regarding… well, your online presence. We know you’re all excited to start, and you might want to share your new job on your personal profiles. That is completely fine. However, you must be extremely careful about what you capture in your photos. Please, never take pictures of your computer screen, client lists, or any printed reports lying on your desks. Sharing these internal documents online, even by accident, is a serious violation of our security rules. Um, if you really want to take a selfie to celebrate your first day, please do it in the reception area or the cafeteria, where no sensitive information is visible. We want to protect our clients’ privacy, and of course, your jobs. Are there any questions about this before we move on?

1 Answer: (A) To address a problem he noticed in previous student assignments.

• Explanation: The teacher says, “Last term, a few of you lost marks because of the references you used,” which means he is addressing a problem from previous assignments. Option (B) is a trap; he mentions the “history essays” but does not announce a deadline. Option (C) is a trap; he mentions “social media,” but not to encourage using it for group projects.

2 Answer: (B) Students should avoid relying on unverified online platforms.

• Explanation: The teacher warns them that “anybody can write anything” on social media and tells them not to “rely on viral internet posts” (unverified online platforms). Option (A) is a trap; students can use the internet (he tells them to look for websites of trusted universities), but they must be careful. Option (C) is not mentioned.

3 Answer: (C) Ask the teacher for help outside of the lesson.

• Explanation: The teacher tells the students to “bring it to me after class” if they are unsure, which means asking him for help outside of the lesson. Option (A) is a trap; he tells them to “check if the author is a recognized expert,” but he never says they should contact the author. Option (B) is plausible but incorrect.

Mr. Harrison: Alright everyone, please settle down. Before we start today’s lecture, I want to talk about your upcoming history essays. Last term, a few of you lost marks because of the references you used. I know it’s incredibly easy to just search for a topic online and click on the first link. Um, many of you even quoted posts from Twitter or Facebook. Well, let me be clear: you must not use social media as a primary source. Anybody can write anything on those platforms without checking the facts. It’s what we call “fake news.” When you find an interesting article online, you need to verify its origin. Check if the author is a recognized expert, and see if the website belongs to a trusted university or a major news organization. If you just rely on viral internet posts, your arguments won’t be valid. So, please, take the extra time to evaluate your materials carefully. If you are ever unsure whether a document is reliable, just bring it to me after class and we can review it together.

1 Answer: (B) He is worried about losing access to important files.

• Explanation: Minh mentions that in their last project, “documents expired after a month” and they couldn’t download them again. This matches “losing access to important files.” Option (A) is a trap; Linh says Zalo is “fast,” and Minh doesn’t disagree with the speed.

2 Answer: (A) It is easy to get sidetracked by other content.

• Explanation: An says Facebook is “way too distracting” and she ends up “scrolling through my feed,” which means getting sidetracked. Option (B) and (C) are not mentioned in the audio.

3 Answer: (B) A professional tool that might be new to some members.

• Explanation: They agree to use Slack, which An describes as a “professional tool.” Linh mentions she has “never used it before,” confirming it is new to her. Option (A) is a trap; they rejected Zalo (the common app). Option (C) is a trap; they rejected Facebook.

Linh: Okay guys, we need to decide where to coordinate our group project. Should we just stick to Zalo like we usually do? It’s fast and everyone has it.

Minh: Um, I’m not so sure. Zalo is convenient for quick texting, but remember our last project? Most of our shared documents expired after a month, and we couldn’t download them again. What about a Facebook Group instead?

An: Well, to be honest, Facebook is way too distracting for me. I’ll go there to check a group notification and end up scrolling through my feed for an hour.

Minh: That’s true, it’s hard to stay focused there. But what’s the alternative?

An: How about Slack? It’s a professional tool. It keeps our files organized in different channels, and more importantly, the documents never disappear.

Linh: Isn’t Slack a bit… complicated? I’ve never used it before and I don’t want to spend hours learning a new app.

An: Don’t worry, I can show you the basics in five minutes. It’s actually very user-friendly once you get started.

Minh: If it keeps our files safe and helps us focus, I’m in.

Linh: Okay, you convinced me. An, please send us the invitation link. I’ll set up my account tonight.